John Spinks 1956-2002

How I knew Spinksy
Dave Price

I worked with John back in the early eighties when we were the scourge of what was then Talbot Motors soon to be Peugeot. We were both in our early twenties, thought we knew it all (we did!) and boy life was good!

I then lent him my sports car and he wrote it off - we lost touch for a bit after that (I should have let it lie! His friendship was worth so much more that a mere car).

I recently met up with John having tracked him down through the internet. You know the call “guess who it is” line (yes a cringe but you have to do it! Friends Reunited and the internet has a lot to answer for).

Why would you want to track down a person you had not seen or heard of for fifteen years? Did he owe me money? (probably!) or was it that I remembered a chap that made me very happy and had made a big contribution to a very very good period of my life.

I was surprised to find he was looking for new challenges (yes even John occasionally found himself the wrong side of the dole office table like all of us none standard mavericks - the only way I got out of that cycle was to form my own business.)

Well I now have a thriving PR and Marketing company and obviously time had dulled my memory because I asked John to work with me again!! We met for the customary business lunch he had the healthy fish and I had the thick steak which in hindsight so unfair.

We were about to take over a large councils marketing and PR department but it was dependant on local elections the result of which scuppered that (he was well up for it though -world domination Spinks style!).

Last Friday we started discussing the next project consultancy to find alternative markets for a firm of Civil Engineers Imagine it - John telling a Motorway design company what to do next? He wasn't sure he could carry it off but I knew he'd be fine.

Still like a good 'un he said I'll come up with some ideas and ring you Monday to arrange to get together.

Well the next day he went to play football and the rest is history. I hope he was happy, he said he was, my deal was one of a number that was going really well for him so I hope that really was the case.

I do feel cheated I was looking forward to having him on the team because I knew what he could do and that sentiment apart was good for me and the business.

When we worked together we were big kids and as fortysomethings when we met again it was within five minutes the same, I'm an old father of one now with the worries of the world seemingly on my shoulders yet within five minutes I was the carefree youth I was back in the early eighties and boy was that a good feeling.

Thanks John